Who We Are

Signature Foundation Inc. commits to undertake an inclusive and holistic Integration of congruent measures in Forestation, Food Security, Livelihood, Environment, Green Space, Health and Wellness, Education and Training Campaigns, and Social Services, while mainstreaming its programs in line with its fields of operations.

Signature Foundation was founded by Jahmeellah Yahannah, a humanitarian mover whose passion is fueled by her immense sense of compassion and justice for the oppressed. While growing up in a dysfunctional family, Jahmeellah poured out her being in achieving dynamic excellence in the field of academics. Her lifelong dream was to become a Medical Doctor and offer pro-bono services to the less fortunate, and so she took up pre-med at the Velez College of Medicine in Cebu City. Her strong empathy started to manifest throughout her high school life in the 1980s.

In the year 1990, while taking up Pre -Medicine course her passion to serve was expressed through the outreach programs she actively participated in within the Province of Cebu. In 1995, she returned to Mindanao and became part of an organization where she conducted several social services and leadership and personality development trainings. Her zeal of service in the frontline which traversed across ethnic and cultural differences brought her finally to the frontier.

Sometime in the year 2000, her work in the form of a nomadic humanitarian movement started as a safe haven for people subjected to domestic violence, victims of war, child abuse and exploitation; allowing her an upfront experience of personal immersion with less fortunate individuals and communities. She would bring homeless people with her as she negotiated with large farmland owners for a small portion of their property to be converted into human settlement.

Through the givings from a few friends and colleagues, Jahmeellah used all the resources to shoulder all expenses for the cost of living of the people to meet their daily needs. The movement provided them with free foods and shelters. They would also gather fruits and root crops from within the allocated land to augment their provisions and she would make do with all the available resources to feed the community with her. Later, scholarships were also granted. This thrust through the timeless test of time thrives on the pursuit of this purpose and passion.

Her selfless dedication and love for the Community earned her the name “Jahmeellah” which means “beauty of God’s holiness”. She accepted the name which she considered a gift from them as brothers and sisters, and decided to use it in lieu of her birth appellation to signify her deep respect for them, and to serve as a constant reminder of her devotion for service. Thereafter, she was known by everyone as Jahmeellah for 25 years now. She took up a Jewish name Jah and her Biblical name Yahannah. Jahmeellah dedicated her life towards various Humanitarian Movements and championed several causes for the protection of children, women empowerment and psychological and spiritual healing.

As word of her passion spread across the area, more and more people arrived in hopes of finding shelter and sanctuary. Some would stay for days, while others stayed for weeks, months and even for years. Those who have stayed longer have become workers who serve freely to the cause and have shared in her passion. Those who learned about this movement would heartily send their support and assistance. She did not have any social media accounts and never solicited money from any institution or politician. More so, she did not publish her mission and advocacies on any platforms of publicity.

From the year 1993 to 2017, 24 years of no personal property and no place to go that she could call her own, Jahmeellah had been travelling and been welcomed by many partners. Up until this time, she doesn’t have a bank account to receive money from partners for the movement. Her personal bank account is only for the amounts deposited directly by her family. By God’s providence, her mother Angelina a businesswoman, her sister Danica Bennett a nurse by profession who migrated to New Zealand and got married to David Jeremy Bennett, are all behind Jahmeellah in their generous giving.

All money from partners, cash and cheque, for the movement or for personal allowances, have been all forwarded to Jireh Mallorca – her loyal and honest personal treasurer until 2017; all in an open-book accounting transparency.

Sometime in 2015, Jahmeellah was invited as a Resource Speaker at the Mindanao State University (MSU) and there she met Yeshua Joshua, a professor from the College of Social Sciences and Humanities. He was enamored by her charismatic passion and zeal in the pursuit of her advocacies and thereafter gave up his career as a University Professor and relinquished his post with a pending promotion and opportunities to pursue Doctoral Degree in Education, to become a full-time mover. Like Jahmeellah, he adopted his Jewish name Yeshua Joshua and the Biblical name – The Dreamer Zaphenath Paneah – “The Governor”. Thereafter, he was known as Joshua.

Destiny had its course in time when on July 7, 2017, Joshua and Jahmeellah got engaged and vowed to enter into marriage after 50 golden days of committing to a lifetime of love and loyalty. On August 27, 2017 at the Marco Polo Hotel in Davao City, Joshua and Jahmeellah finally entered into the Holy Matrimony which was celebrated by Rev. Paul Abraham.

Soon after, Joshua and Jahmeellah travelled back to Manila to receive the Honorary Doctorate Award conferred upon them at The Peninsula Manila on September 4, 2017. They were joined by Daniel to receive the same awards. The Doctor Honoris Causa Award from the United States of America earned them the title, US Doctors.

In September 2017, the movement that Jahmeellah started out of personal zeal and passion many years ago became officially registered in the National Securities and Exchange Commission as the Signature Foundation Incorporated (SFI). The Foundation’s headquarters was officially established in Midsayap, North Cotabato, and became a Satellite Office as it expanded its services to other areas in the Philippines.

Back in 2016, Jahmeellah met Madam Felly Collado, a social worker by profession who later became a successful business magnate in Mindanao with her husband German, owning a group of companies with at least 200 employees, in which Joshua became a company pastoral adviser in 2017. Fely and German devoted their noble commitment to an altruistic service to the community. The couple’s fervor propelled them to spearhead the operations of a mountain project in Mindanao.

In the same year, one of Jahmeellah’s most talented and brilliant trainees, Rollie Otome from Makati City migrated to Australia. Soon he got married to a nurse Chris. He adopted the Biblical name “Daniel” and became one of their ardent leaders who further championed the cause. For the past years, Joshua and Jahmeellah have travelled roundabout the country for their work assignments in the field, and they have been to other continents of Asia, Australia, America, Africa, and Europe.

In time, when they gave up the promise of their profession, they were left to no definite promise of a promotion. Bonded by strong faith, camaraderie and workmanship, they continued to serve our communities in pro bono services as their common heart and dedication, until that they have become pillars of a thriving Foundation. Born as a movement out of personal passion, now on the Blue Mountains of Australia, these individuals were set to take-off as the Board of Directors of the Signature Foundation.

In this pursuit, the foundation had Hon. Orly Amit and Hon. Dr. Edwin Cruzado whose hearts were likewise in tuned with selfless love for service; both were moved by the same life, principles and philosophy of the Pro Bono in their services and both have shared their time and resources in the making of this humanitarian movement.

Dr. Jahmeellah, PhD, DD, D Hum, who graduated from a private medical school in Cebu, who once gave up her ambition to be a Medical Doctor and Surgeon, now serves as SFI’s Founder and Chief Executive Officer (CEO). Dr. Joshua, PhD, DD, D Hum, who once relinquished his post in the state university as professor and Doctor of Education, now serves as Chief Executive Director. Dr. Daniel, PhD, DD, D Hum, Social Worker and national topnotch in the board examination, who once gave up his promising works and promotion in the Philippines to join the movement full-time, now operates his own Agency the Heaven’s Heartbeat Migration Services in Australia, serves as the Foundation’s Deputy Director. Madam Fely, a Social Worker by Profession who once worked under DSWD and a successful entrepreneur who generously supports the movement while giving up businesses not aligned with her family’s advocacy and passion, a business magnate with great philanthropic passion, now serves as the Foundation Chief Financial Director. Hon. Orly Amit, former Samal City Vice Mayor and current Board Member of Davao del Norte and Chairman of Committee on Finance and Appropriation, 30 years in politics, a motivational speaker and pillar of this volunteerism movement, now serves as the Executive Secretarial Director. Hon. Dr. Edwin Cruzado, a general surgeon of his own Cruzado Medical Hospital and serving freely the poor communities, elected number one as Board Member of the first district of North Cotabato and currently elected Congressman, a partner to this movement for almost 25 years already since 1999, now serves the foundation as the Executive Director on Audit.